
Rise In Criminal Gangs Fly-Tipping
An investigation by the BBC has revealed a huge rise in the number of reported cases of large scale fly-tipping. The Environment Agency has dubbed the criminal activity as ‘the new narcotics’ and has blamed organised criminal gangs, with illegal dumping of tipper lorry loads of waste doubling in the last six years.
The investigation has revealed that crime families are setting up fake companies in order to take over warehouses, then filling them with waste before abandoning the site. They are making profits from online advertising of the services for a fee, but this has led to local councils being left to clear up, costing millions.
Statistics indicate that local councils in England have been saddled with £60million in clean-up costs since 2012, as London and Manchester are hit hardest. Last year alone, local councils faced a staggering £12.8million bill to clear more than 36,200 large trips as the country faces a fly-tipping epidemic.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: ‘Everyone can help fight the fast-growing mountains of fly-tipping. This is a national disgrace that is costing tax-payers and the environment dearly.’
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Waste crime is an unacceptable blight on our environment, estimated to cost the UK economy at least £600million a year and put communities at risk. We are determined to bring waste criminals to justice, which is why anyone found guilty could face jail time or a hefty fine.”
In Greater Manchester, Manchester City Council recorded the largest incidents in five years between 2012 and 2019, averaging up to 1,672 clean-ups per year.
Croydon Council in south London had the highest average annual number of large incidents per capita, as well as the biggest increase in large fly-tipping in those eight years, according to Government data.
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